Motor vehicle testing apparatus



sept. 22, 1936. A E FER'AGEN 2,055,430

V MOTOR VEHICLE TESTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 23, 1932 b\ ai .,N. l MSW Nw N. WJ m M ,.---IIIII n R @QN kw. W. E MJF NNN E Nw, U 1 mw GN a mi mw.. wvl. ww MW ww J ,i ili .T wN l I wm wN un. uw WN N\W\. NIN... MM bk ,Nh

A TTORNEYS.

Patented sept. 22, 1936 UNITED STATES vPATENT ori-*ice '2,055,430 MOTOR VEHICLE TESTING APPARATUS Arthur E. Feragen, South Bend, Ind. Application November 23, 1932, Serial No. 644,133

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a motor vehicle testing apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide a runway for a motor vehicle having means included 5 therein for thoroughly testing the vehicle to quickly locate defects therein and to expedite the work of repair, care and-maintenance of the `vehicle and more particularly to provide an apparatus for testing motor vehicles comprising a 10 runway including means for testing the brakes of the vehicle together with means for retaining the vehicle in position against the thrust of the brake testing means.,

Other objects of the invention will appear l5 from the following description taken in connection with the drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine; and gm Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view substantially on line 2 2, Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing for more specific details of the invention, I represents two corresponding parallel runways, each including a brake testing unit I2, a laterally 'shiftable platform I4, a

stationary measuring means I6, a longitudinally slidable measuring means I8, and a wheel aligner 26 rotatable about the axes 2| including a rotatable platform 22, centered on the rotatable axes 2|, the wheel aligner in one runway being coupled to thewheel aligner in the other runway for concomitant and corresponding movements. The brake tester units I2 are positioned at the front or approach of the runways.- Each of these 35 units includes a frame 24 suitably secured against displacement. The frame has positioned thereon for rotation two correspondingly spaced parallel rollers 26 and 28 adaptable for supporting and rotating the wheel of a motor vehicle. One 40 of the rollers, preferably roller 26, is driven by an electric motor 82 the drive nreans incorporatiing a suitable indicator 68 for Vindicating the torque necessary to rotatethe rollers 26 and 28.

It is essential that the motor vehicle wheels be 45 retained on the rollers 26 and 28, and to this end spaced correspondingiparallel links 18 are pivoted to a suitable support adjacent the frame 24. These links support for .rotation a roller 80 adapted to engage the vehicle wheels when on the 50 rollers 26 and 28. Corresponding links 82 pivoted on a shaft supporting the roller 80 have dogs 84- on their free ends for engagement with ratchets 86. The links 82.are connected by a cross-bar 88 and this bar has secured thereto a handle 90 t for raisingthe roller 80 for engagement with the wheels and disengaging the dogs from the ratchets.

In operation, a motor vehicle is driven under its own power to positon the front wheels of the vehicle on the brake tester units I2, in which position the vehicle is secured against movement by elevating the rollers 80 to engage the wheels. The brake tester units are then set in operation to indicates the resistance of the brakes associated with the front wheels to the rotation of the wheels to facilitate adjustment of the brakes.

Upon adjustment of the brakes associated with the front wheels, the rollers 80 are lowered and the vehicle moved forward to position the rear wheels on the brake testing units, whereupon the rollers 80 are again elevated to engage the wheels to secure the vehicle against movement, and the brake testing units are again set in operation to test the brakes associated with the rear wheels to facilitate the required adjustment thereof. 2o

YThe laterally shiftable platforms lll are provided to laterally shift the vehicle wheels mounted thereon to align the motor vehicle with the runways so as'to properly position the vehicle in v order that the measuring means I6 and I8 may be 25 used.

The measuring means I6 and I8 carry distance measuring scales thereon, the forward means I8 being longitudinally slidable to accommodate l vehicles of different length wheel base. The

scales on I6 and I8 are provided in order to determine the alignment of the vehicle frame and to ldetermine the relation of the front and rear axles to each other and to the frame.

At the forward end of the runways I0 are 35 mounted means for determining wheel alignment. The pivotally mounted discs 22 cooperating with scales |18 are provided for checking the caster of the vehicle wheels and checking the king-pin inclination. The pivotally mounted platforms 20 cooperating with scales |66 are pro- Y vided for determining toe-in of the vehicle wheels.

The platforms 20 are connected by rod 282 and by means of handle 208 may be' rotated about 45 I their pivots 2| in order to properly position the platforms 20 for checking thesteering geometry on right and left turns. p

Although this invention has been described in connection with certain speciilc embodiments the g A scope of the appended claim.

the invention, what I claim `as secure by Letters Patent is:-

. Y 2,055,430 Having thus described the various features of new and desire to A motor vehicle testing apparatus comprising 5 two parallel runways each having a brake testing unit at one end, said brake testing units being y adapted to rotate the wheels of a vehicle engaged thereby against the resistance of the wheel brakes, and means adjacent 10 units for restraining moveme during testing of the brakes,

the brake testing nt of theV vehicle said means comprising a. transverse roller canied on a pair of parallel links pivoted adjacent the brake testing units, a, second link pivotally connected to said parallel links xed to support said roller in the path of a vehicle wheel, and a fixed notch adapted to releasably engage said link whereby the roller may be raised 'into position to engage the vehicle wheel while on the brake testing machine, or lowered to permit the vehicle to readily pass thereover.

ARTHUR. E. FERAGEN. 

